


Breathe

by thesatanistauthor



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: Anxiety, Comfort, M/M, Patient death, Slight trigger warning, anxiety attack, mentla health warning, nico suffers an anxiety attack, schmico week, schmico week day 4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-04
Updated: 2019-04-04
Packaged: 2020-01-04 06:57:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18338495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesatanistauthor/pseuds/thesatanistauthor
Summary: When Levi gets a call from Link begging him for help with Nico during a bad panic attack, Levi drops everything to rush to his side and help him through it.





	Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> this was originally called panic! at the hospital lol
> 
> should i have kept the name??

Nico was never one to let himself get too overwhelmed with his job. In fact, he was great at being able to separate home life from his work life. There were sometimes jobs that stayed with him when he left the hospital, such as ones that were highly emotional to work on, but other than that he was able to leave most of his work where it belonged. There had been a few occasions where Levi had actually come to Nico after a particularly hard shift, seeking comfort and reassurance. Levi was a very emotional guy and struggled sometimes, especially if he worked with patients over the course of a few months.

However, today seemed to be... different. Nico hadn't been able to get much sleep lately. There had been a lot on his mind, causing him to lose the sleep he so desperately needed. He'd consumed more coffee over the past week than he ever had before and he could tell that it was beginning to take a toll on his body. His food intake had also been pretty scarce, which meant that he was starting to feel a little shaky. People around the hospital had begun to see a change in Nico's behavior- his trembling hands, the bags forming under his eyes, his sudden change in attitude. Even Levi was suffering from Nico's lack of sleep.

"Nico, you look exhausted," Jo furrowed her brows as she rested her hip against the nurse's station, placing the chart down. Nico turned to look at her, taking a moment to register that she was even there.

"Oh, hey," Nico began to yawn, having to turn away from Jo for a brief second. She rolled her eyes at Nico before playfully pushing his shoulder with her hand. He stumbled at the touch, so exhausted that he could barely keep himself up. Jo reacted almost immediately, swiftly reaching out her hand to grab Nico's arm. "Sorry, just tired."

"Yeah, I can tell! When was the last time you sleep, Nico?" Jo pondered, concern and bewilderment slapped across her face. Nico let out a breathy laugh as he tried to remember back to the time he last had a good nights sleep.

"Uh, I can't remember. Maybe last week?" Nico stretched his back out a little, his muscles tired and sore. Jo let out a long sigh at his answer, not impressed with his lack of self-care. The hospital around them was beginning to get noisy and Jo could see that Nico was struggling.

She shoved her hands deep in her lab coat pockets, cocking her head to the side as she stared at the run-down doctor that was practically falling asleep in front of her. "Get some rest, Nico. Please. You look like hell and you sure as hell have been acting like it too."

"I have one last patient to check up on before I can rest. Just please, let me check on her." Nico almost begged, whacking out his best puppy dog eyes to convince her. She rolled her eyes and groaned as she pushed herself off the nurse's station.

"Fine. That's what I had come to tell you about, anyway- You may want to hurry. She didn't look good. An infection had set in overnight." Jo's tone faded into something solemn as she spoke, the light from her eyes dimming. The words struck a chord in Nico and he instantly took off in a sprint in the direction of his patient's room. Why had he not be paged about this earlier? Why was Jo sent to find him?

He rushed by person after person, even once almost tripping over his own two feet. When he finally reached the room his patient was in, he was greeted with the sight of three others rushing around her, trying to revive her. Her infection had spread fast, leaving her literally no chance. Nico let out a sharp breath, almost like he had been bluntly hit in the chest, as he watched the scene unfold in front of him. He couldn't move; his body wouldn't allow him to, he was frozen to the spot.

It wasn't until Link had to physically drag him from the room that he was able to move again. He couldn't even remember getting from one room to another, but somehow it had happened. All he knew is that he was now in an on-call room, perched in a chair, elbows rested on his knees with hands grasped in front of him, the knuckles of his thumbs rested against his lips. Link was staring at him, hands rested on his hips. He let out a loud, frustrated sigh as he too sat in a chair, slumping down in it.

"There was nothing that we could have done to save her," Link muttered, breaking the silence of the room. Nico didn't reply; in fact, he didn't even move. He was off in his own world, his mind having been consumed with raving thoughts.

It was another few moments before Nico let out a stiff sigh, sitting himself back in the chair. Link watched on, brow raised as Nico kept fidgeting in his seat, unable to keep himself still. He had never seen his friend in such a state as this- it was unnerving.

"Nico, you alright?" Link asked, cautiously pushing himself up from the chair he was sat in. He took a couple of timid steps towards Nico across the room, a feeling of worry growing deep in the pit of his stomach. Nico was chewing on his bottom lip, his eyes glassy as his fingers tapped against his knee. Eventually, Link knelt down by the side of Nico's chair, gently resting his hand on Nico's shoulder, which snapped him back into reality. The mere touch of Link's hand had made Nico physically startle, his breathing suddenly becoming erratic and labored. "Woah, hey, it's just me."

"She- She, we couldn't- Is she dead?" Nico held his hand against his chest, struggling to find the words. Link furrowed his brows, distressed to see Nico take an abrupt turn for the worse. Link kept his hand on Nico's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze as he pursed his lips together, nodding his head slowly. The news that he had lost a patient sent him right over the edge. "Oh my God, It's all my fault!"

Link took a deep breath in as he watched Nico fall apart, unable to take a breath to calm himself. Link could see the absolute panic that just took over Nico's whole being, preventing him from doing anything to help himself. "Nico, it wasn't your fault! You couldn't have done anything to stop this, the infection took over too quickly!"

"She- She was so young, I-I messed up, Link I- I don't know what's happening," Nico turned his head to look at Link who was knelt beside him, the look in his eyes that of pure fear and panic. Link removed his hand from Nico's shoulder so he could reach into the pockets of his scrubs, digging out his phone. "I can't breathe, It- It hurts!"

"It's alright, just keep breathing as best as you can. I'm going to get you some help, alright?" Link didn't really understand what was happening to Nico, as he was never like this. The fact he hadn't slept or eaten properly in days only contributed to his unstableness. He stood from where he was knelt and unlocked his phone, tapping on the screen a few times before raising the phone to his ear.

-

Levi was just finishing up dressing a wound on an eight-year-old, who'd fallen from his bike and gotten a pretty nasty laceration above his eyebrow. Just as he finished patching him up, his phone buzzed in his lab coat pocket, alerting him that someone was trying to reach him. Taryn was with him, assisting him whenever he needed it. Levi was unable to reach his phone so signaled for Taryn to reach in and grab it.

Helm took Levi's phone from his pocket and answered it, excusing herself to the corner of the room, turning her back to Levi and the patient as she answered it. After making sure everything was correctly in place, Levi peeled his gloves from his hands, disposing of them before turning back to the young boy. His father was standing on the opposite side of his bed, leaning down a little to try and get a better view of his son's injury.

"There you go, you should be fine! Don't go getting it wet or dirty yet, and in a few days you should be able to-" Levi was about to instruct the father on how to care for the wound when Helm turned and interrupted him, her tone urgent.

"It's Nico." That was all Taryn needed to say to get Levi's attention, both her tone and her expression letting Levi know that it was urgent and he needed to leave now. He gave her a single nod as he turned back to his patient, replacing his frown with a fake smile, keeping his professional side up until he could leave.

"I have another patient which I need to rush to go and attend," That was kind of a lie. Nico wasn't a patient at all- well, at least not yet. The kid was already busy playing on his father's phone, taking no notice of his surroundings. All he could care about was video games. "Dr. Helm here will finish giving you care instructions for your son's wound. I apologize for rushing off."

The boy's father shook his head and gave Levi an understanding smile. "No problem, Dr. Schmitt. Thank you for helping us today."

Levi almost let out a relieved sigh as he turned to face Helm, practically snatching his phone from her hands as he rushed out the room, phone to his ear as he waited to hear who was on the other end.

"What's happened, fill me in," Levi demanded, glancing around before eventually deciding to head left, not exactly sure as to where he would be needed. The other end of the phone was silent for a moment, before he heard the faint click of a door. Then he could hear the phone being picked up, the rustling sounds sharp and sudden.

" _Levi, it's Link. You need to come to the on-call room on two. We lost a patient and Nico- he just lost it,_ " Levi let out a slight groan as he turned on the ball of his foot, heading towards the elevators that he had just passed. He frantically pressed at the button, in hopes that it would make the elevator arrive faster than usual. He could hear the faint sound of heavy breathing and choked sobs coming from the background. He could hear Link desperately trying to get Nico to breathe.  " _Has he ever had panic attacks before?_ "

Levi stopped for a brief moment. A panic attack? He let out a sigh as he used his free hand to pinch the bridge of his nose, eyes squeezed shut in thought. "Uh, no. Not that I know of. I can hear him in the background, put me on speaker so I can speak to him, please."

After a brief moment of rustling, Link let Levi know that he was now on speaker, that Nico could hear him. All he could do was speak to Nico and hope that his voice would be enough to calm him, even just a little. These things weren't anything new to Levi; in the past, he'd had plenty but they were nothing like Nico's. In fact, they were almost the complete opposite of what Nico was experiencing. The labored breathing, the sobbing, the trembling- none of that ever happened for him.

"Hey Nico, it's Levi. I'm coming as soon as I can, I'll be there soon. Just keep breathing for me, okay?" It was obvious that the elevator was refusing to come. Levi smacked his hand against the wall with a frustrated grunt, turning and running in the direction of the stairs. It would take him a bit longer to get there than planned. As he entered the stairwell, he stopped and took a second to breathe himself. "Link, is there any way you can get oxygen to him? You can't let him hyperventilate!"

" _I'll have to leave him, which I don't really want to do,_ " Link spoke through the phone. Levi began to climb the stairs, weaving past the few people that were making their ways up and down. " _But I'm going to have to. I'm going to go fetch some, I'll see you in a moment._ "

Levi almost tripped as he sprinted up the stairs, bringing the phone down from his ear and hanging it up before shoving it in his pocket, having to make a swift movement to avoid rushing into one of the other doctor's. He eventually reached the second floor and rushed through the doors, having to yet again weave his way through a sea of patients and doctors as he made his way to the on-call room. As he reached the door, he stopped so abruptly he nearly lost his balance. He took a moment to calm himself before entering the room, revealing Nico who was now sat on the floor, back pressed up against the wall with Link knelt by his side, holding the oxygen mask up to Nico's mouth.

Levi made sure to turn and lock the door behind him, not wanting anyone to come in and disturb them. Nico looked absolutely awful; he was pale as anything, his hair messy and sticking out in all directions. His cheeks were stained with dried tears, his eyes half-lidded as he struggled to stay awake, so exhausted from lack of sleep now mixed with a pretty bad panic attack.

"I just got back," Link spoke up, turning to look up at Levi. "He's calmed a little bit, but his breathing is still elevated. I can't get him to breathe."

Nico managed to look up at Levi, sleep practically enveloping his body. It took a second for Levi to move from where he stood, making his way next to Nico's side and kneeling beside him. Levi took the mask from Link and continued holding it over Nico's nose and mouth whilst Link took a break, giving him a moment to revise over what had just happened to his friend. Nico just gave Levi this  _look_ \- a look which said so much, yet so little. It said how sorry he was for making Levi worry over him, it told Levi how exhausted Nico was, it told him so much. With what was left of his energy, Nico raised his hand and wrapped his fingers weakly around Levi's wrist, causing Levi to remove the oxygen mask.

Nico's breathing was still uneven, but it had improved significantly since Levi had arrived. "I'm so sorry," Nico coughed, his lungs feeling like they were lined with thousands of tiny needles. "I didn't want to worry you."

"Hey," Levi spoke softly, almost a whisper, as he sat himself next to Nico, his thighs burning from where he had been knelt. "You didn't worry me. I'm here now, it's okay. You had a panic attack. You're still alive and that is all that matters to me."

Nico tried to laugh, only to end up coughing again, his chest wheezing and burning with every jerk of his diaphragm. Levi was quick to move the oxygen mask back over Nico's nose and mouth. Levi changed his gaze to Link, who was slumped against a chair, one leg pulled up to his chest.

"He needs to rest, Levi. He hasn't eaten, drank or slept properly in the past few days. That isn't healthy for him. I'm not letting him work on any other patients until he's stable again." Link commented. Levi could tell he was serious- but he agreed nonetheless. It wasn't right that Nico was forcing himself to work when he clearly wasn't physically okay to do so.

"Let him rest here for the remainder of the day. I'll go and get him some proper food and some water but then I have to get back to work. When I'm done later tonight, I'll take him home." Levi kept his voice quiet as he spoke to Link as not to disturb Nico, who was practically falling asleep on Levi's shoulder.

"That seems like a plan, I'll let the others know so they don't page him." Link groaned as he pushed himself up off the floor, brushing his hands over the top of his scrubs to straighten them out before he headed towards the door. As he placed his hand on the handle, he turned to look at the two.

Levi gave him a thankful smile; if Link hadn't of been there for Nico, he had no idea what he might have done. Link left soon after, leaving the two alone so that Levi could finally sort Nico out. The door closed with a soft click, the murmur from the hospital being abruptly muted.

Levi shifted himself, removing the mask from Nico now that his breathing was somewhat stable. He placed the equipment to the side before getting up, eventually helping Nico move to the bed in the on-call room, so that he could get some well-needed rest. Levi made a mental note to talk to Nico about his panic attack later tonight, so he could get to the bottom of it all.

-

Levi chucked his keys to the side as he made his way through the front door, letting out a long sigh as he shrugged his coat from his shoulders. He toed his shoes off, using his foot to nudge them neatly into place just under the coat rack. As he hung his coat up, Nico dragged himself through the door, still rather sleepy from earlier in the day.

Nico shut the door behind him, a yawn escaping from him as he turned back around, sliding his coat off his back. He didn't even have a chance to hang it up before Levi had taken it off of him, placing it next to his on the coat rack.

"Go lay down," Levi mumbled, nodding his head towards the couch. "You've had a rough day, you need it."

"I'm feeling okay now, Levi. I don't need to rest anymore." Nico made his way over to Levi, a sleepy grin tugging at the corner of his lips. Levi couldn't resist how adorable Nico looked when he was practically half-asleep. It was a weakness of his that he cursed himself for having. With a content sigh, Nico raised his hands to rest on Levi's waist, gently tugging him closer.

"You scared me today," Levi mumbled, raising his arms to snake around Nico's neck, leaning up on his toes, just slightly. Nico's eyes scanned up and down Levi, taking in every little thing about him. The little freckles that were dusted around his face, faint but there.

Nico let out a small sigh as he studied Levi. "That was the first time it's happened to me."

"Still, it could happen again. You need to take better care of yourself. You matter just as much as your patients and your job. If you need to take a break then do so, I don't want you to have to go through that again." Nico could tell by the way Levi spoke that he was genuinely worried over his wellbeing.

"Okay, I hear you. I'll look after myself." Nico shot Levi a comforting smile, letting his boyfriend know that he truly meant it. Maybe taking a break wouldn't be such a bad idea after all?

"I'll get us some food. What do you fancy?" Levi grinned a little as he spoke, already making his way to the kitchen. Nico followed behind him, shoving his hands into his pockets. He leaned against the doorway of the kitchen as he watched Levi get out some plates, ready to make whatever Nico wanted. 

Levi stopped what he was doing when he realized that Nico was staring at him with that same fond grin that never failed to make him feel that fluttering feeling in his stomach. He rested his weight against the counter top as he turned to face Nico. 

"What?" He asked, furrowing his brows in question. 

"Nothing," Nico pushed himself off the door frame and made his way over to Levi. "I just really, really love you. That's all. I really mean it."

"I love you, too." Levi let out a fond sigh as he took a step towards Nico, breaking the distance between them so he could wrap his arms snuggly around Nico's waist. Nico pressed his nose into Levi's hair, hugging Levi back. 

"Thank you for today," He mumbled before pressing a kiss into Levi's hair. Levi hummed in response. "I don't know what I would have done without you."

Levi pulled back a little, just enough so that he could look up at Nico. His expression read as worried, concern flicking across his features. "You scared me. I'm glad you're okay though. If that ever happens again, or you think it's going to happen, let me know. I'll come right away and I'll stay by your side until you need me to leave. I know how scary panic attacks can be, how it feels like you're dying because you can't breathe."

The memories from earlier that day still stayed with Nico. Feeling so vulnerable and being so open in front of two of the closest people in his life was mortifying for him, as he generally wasn't one who liked to open up too much. Plus, he hadn't wanted Levi to see him in such a fragile state, as upsetting Levi was the last thing he ever planned on doing.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize for something you can't control, Nico. Now, you never told me what you want to eat!" Levi leaned up on his toes, pressing a swift kiss to Nico's lips. 

"How about we just get take-away?"

"Sounds perfect."

**Author's Note:**

> this sucked lol sorry


End file.
